Letter from CORRA to Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation regarding earmarked donations, 30 June 1960

Disgrifiad

The letter from Hilary Goldberg at the Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal (CORRA) is addressed to Mr Phillips of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation. The letter thanks Mr Phillips for a letter received on the 21 June 1960. Hilary Goldberg writes that he looks forward to hearing how much money has been earmarked for CORRA once Mr Fligelstone and Mr Eliot return from their holidays. He reminds Mr Phillips that a £50 donation made had been returned to the Newport congregation at the beginning of the World Refugee Year with the understanding that more money would be collected and a larger amount be sent to CORRA or sent to the Lord Mayor earmarked for CORRA.

The Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal (CORRA) was a combination of appeals from organisations fundraising for Jewish refugees for World Refugee Year. World Refugee Year was launched by the United Nations in June 1959 to June 1960. It was set up to increase the public's awareness of the issues faced by refugees and to find solutions to improve their lives. The organisations which were included were the Central British Fund for Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation (C.B.F.), British Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training (British O.R.T.) and British O.S.E. Jewish Health Organisation. The Central British Fund provided support such as housing, a kindergarten and equipment for summer camps and clinics for Jewish immigrants and refugees in Australia, France, Morocco, Poland, Iran and the rehabilitation of Jewish survivors from Agadir. The British Organisation for Rehabilitation through Training (British O.R.T.) was part of World O.R.T. and provided technical training in 21 countries including Tunisia, Morocco, Israel, Iran, France and Poland. The British O.S.E. Jewish Health Organisation ran a health programmes in Tunisia, Morocco, Iran and Israel. As well as a scheme for patients discharged from mental hospitals in France. They also provided post-graduate medical training and scholarships for nurses.

Newport Monmouthshire Hebrew Congregation was founded in 1859 by orthodox Jews meeting at a temporary synagogue in Llanarth Street. A synagogue at Francis Street was opened in 1869 and consecrated by the Chief Rabbi Dr Herman Adler in 1871. In 1934 the congregation moved to their Nathan Harris Memorial Hall in Queen's Hill which was converted to a synagogue. In 1997 this synagogue was closed, and the congregation moved to their Prayer House by the Jewish Burial Ground on Risca Road. Within 20 years the congregation had dwindled to a few members able to attend and this too had ceased to hold services.

Sources:
"History of our Shul. The First Hundred Years", published by Newport Congregation in 1959;
Oral history interviews with members of the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation, recorded in 2018 by JHASW;
Letters sent from the Combined Overseas Rehabilitation and Refugee Appeal to the Newport Mon Hebrew Congregation between 1959 and 1960 with information about the organisation;
"When the war was over: European refugees after 1945. Briefing Paper 7. World Refugee Year 1959-1960" found at https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/postwar-refugees/documents/briefing-paper-7-world-refugee-year.pdf.

Depository: Gwent Archives.